The Nudol was first launched in late 2015 amid a torrent of next generation missile tests in the belligerent state, the diplomat said.

Pentagon official Mark Schneider warned the anti-satellite rockets could potentially wreak havoc on the US after another test in 2016.

He told The Washington Free Beacon: "The loss of GPS guidance due to [anti-satellite] attack would take out a substantial part of our precision weapons delivery capability and essentially all of our standoff capability."

Vladimir Putin displays the military strength of Russia by launching anti-nuclear missile in Kazakhstan

Air Force Lt. Gen. David J. Buck, commander of the Joint Functional Component Command for Space, said in the same year: "Russia views US dependency on space as an exploitable vulnerability, and they are taking deliberate actions to strengthen their counter-space capabilities."

US officials also raised concerns about parallel Chinese pursuits of anti-satellite weapon systems.

In February 2018, China conducted another test of its KO09/DN-3 midcourse hit-to-kill interceptor against a medium-range ballistic missile target; the DN-3 is also capable of an anti-satellite role.

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In his Worldwide Threat Assessment this year, US Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said: “Both Russia and China continue to pursue anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons as a means to reduce US and allied military effectiveness.

“Russia and China aim to have nondestructive and destructive counterspace weapons available for use during a potential future conflict.

“We assess that, if a future conflict were to occur involving Russia or China, either country would justify attacks against US and allied satellites as necessary to offset any perceived US military advantage derived from military, civil, or commercial space systems."

Russia has issued a chilling warning to the West following last night's airstrikes in Syria.

US, UK and France launch air strikes in Syria in response to chemical attack

Vladimir Putin's ambassador to the United States said the bombings were an insult to the president and not "acceptable" as the three nations joined forces in response to the "evil and despicable crimes of a monster".

Russian ambassador Anatoly Antonov said on Twitter: "A pre-designed scenario is being implementedAgain, we are being threatened. We warned that such actions will not be left without consequences.

“Insulting the President of Russia is unacceptable and inadmissable. The US - the possessor of the biggest arsenal of chemical weapons - has no moral right to blame other countries.”

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